W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (Full Version)

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Vlad77 -> W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 4:33:43 AM)

I am an avid 4X gamer. If it has been released, chances are I have played it. Until today, I have been playing Armada 2526. Great game. Having said that, my first impressions of distant Worlds is that this game is TRULY the first space 4X game that successfully captures the feeling of the immensity of space. Astronomically, a 700 star galaxy is, well, it would really be closer to a tiny cluster. But, DW "abstracts" a 700 star galaxy into something that FEELS like a billion star astronomical body.

The New Galactic Emperor of 4X Space games has arrived! Surrender to it!!

I have to admit that I am feeling a tad overwhelmed, but, in a GOOD way. A LOT is going on; the galaxy is ALIVE. Even with most things automated, you ARE going to be busy. In fact, one should REJOICE at the automation! I think it would be impossible to monitor everything whilst trying to keep tabs on everything else going on outside your fledgling empire.

Another cool feature? Right in game, you jump into the game editor and tweak your galaxy! Yes, you can place practically ANYTHING ANYWHERE. *Taking a breath here...

I will still play Armada 2526, and GalCiv2, but, IMHO, we have finally found THE game we have been waiting for. MOO2 is deservedly a classic and has been for many the space 4X against which all others have been compared. Distant Worlds has, I think, reached that lofty level - at least in the first hours of playing it. And the modification friendliness of this game means that I am CERTAIN we are going to see some wild ship designs. How many games have we tried to mod for Babylon 5 or Star Trek, etc. THIS is the one!

Installation went well, and the game runs very nicely thus far. I DO like Armada 2526's feature of hitting the "Home" key to return to one's capital. I will hasten to add that I haven't explored all of the buttons and gadgets yet. The game sucked me in SO much, I really don't care that I have yet to discover all of the shortcuts.

Which brings me to the tutorials. These are excellent! Unlike most tutorials where you have to wait for the game to allow you to perform the action just described, you can play the game as you follow the tutorial, i.e., you can perform the action, scroll around, do other things, and the tutorial is still there.

So much I could write about, but, you folks need to experience this game.

Kudos to the devs for this experience - DW is not just a game. Thank you Matrix Games for yet another great distribution!

Vlad



Rosseau -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 6:00:39 AM)

I have been playing Space Empires V, so imagine my shock at the slickness of this game. A few hours in and looking good so far.

One 4X first I believe is the game editor allows you to modify a lost-cause or easy-win game and make it interesting again. Nothing worse than those scenarios that just go on forever.



Baleur -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 8:11:52 AM)

Vlad77 running very nicely? Are you saying you dont have massive stuttering when zooming or panning around? *ultra jealous if thats the case, but hopeful that it means this stuttering is something fixable*



Vlad77 -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 9:00:02 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: rosseau

I have been playing Space Empires V, so imagine my shock at the slickness of this game. A few hours in and looking good so far.

One 4X first I believe is the game editor allows you to modify a lost-cause or easy-win game and make it interesting again. Nothing worse than those scenarios that just go on forever.


Rosseau,
I couldn't agree more. I was a Space empires IV junkie and had HIGH hope for V. I bought it on the day of release, and after I think the sixth patch, I gave up. Aaron Hall is a helluva good game designer, but, the ball was dropped on SE:V

DW has IMMENSE promise. If you ever played the Babylon 5 or Star Trek mods for SE:IV you know that they were fun. But, imagine what can be done with DW!! I thought at one point that GalCiv2 was the be all and end all of space 4X - and it DOES have a lot going for it. But, DW's possibilities in terms of customization seem virtually limitless.

See you in space!!

Vlad



Gertjan -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 11:48:43 AM)

Wow! This seems to be a very good game already after the release. I'm very optimistic!



Gargantou -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 11:51:42 AM)

Yeah, out of all 'epic strategy' games I've played throughout the years, this has to be one of the most stable and bug-free ones I can think off, Elliot and co. have done a great job on the game!



lordxorn -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 12:02:49 PM)

I agree, I just finished a 2 hour session on my HP DV2000 AMD Turion X2 64bit laptop, and it ran fine. I can't wait to get home on my Gaming Rig and enjoy DW on my 22in monitor in full smoothness.

I am really enjoying the game right and trying to figure out all the nuances Elliot and co have put into this great game. I have so far been able to figure out a majority of the game's features on my own through trial and error and the galactopaedia. Which is well written and comprehensive.

One thing I am struggling with is my economy, which is suffering from huge shifts of negative and positive. I have more than ten luxury resources listed, and have free trade agreements. I have also built a resort on a blackhole, but can't seem to get tourist there. It is about two sectors away from my major planets, do they have to be in the same sector?




Webbco -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 12:52:12 PM)

Errr, you put a tourist resort near a black hole? I haven't tried that but it doesn't sound like a good idea! When clicking on the black hole, did it have a 'scenic' level in the bottom left info screen? If it doesn't then I don't expect tourist will flock to it! If you click on expansion planner, you can filter colonies according to scenic locations.



Erik Rutins -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 1:01:03 PM)

Thanks guys, great to hear that you are loving DW!



Wade1000 -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 1:20:15 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Webbco

Errr, you put a tourist resort near a black hole? I haven't tried that but it doesn't sound like a good idea! When clicking on the black hole, did it have a 'scenic' level in the bottom left info screen? If it doesn't then I don't expect tourist will flock to it! If you click on expansion planner, you can filter colonies according to scenic locations.

Yep. The black hole he posted does have a "Scenery" rank/bonus. But look at that Research bonus!
http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2414784 ('Micro AAR: Science at the Edge of Eternity')



mbar -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 2:32:02 PM)

My first impressions echo Vlad77. So much is going on in DW. There is so much to learn yet I don't feel like it's ever out of my control. I can slow it down, pause and the in-game documentation (galacticopedia) is first rate. The intel and information screens allow you to control so much without needing to zoom in and out on the galactic map to issue orders to this or that.

I don't often buy games without a demo but I feel the youtube movies gave me a very good idea of what I would be buying.



Shark7 -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 2:36:12 PM)

I only got a chance to run through the basic tutorial and play for about 30 minutes last night, but this game is epic scale wise. Even in the 30 minutes I played I was run ragged trying to deal with pirate raids. I have a feeling this is going to be very, very good, and very in depth.



mbar -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 2:48:55 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Shark7

I only got a chance to run through the basic tutorial and play for about 30 minutes last night, but this game is epic scale wise. Even in the 30 minutes I played I was run ragged trying to deal with pirate raids. I have a feeling this is going to be very, very good, and very in depth.


At first I tried to destroy a single pirate ship but I just ended up jumping this way and that trying to chase it down. So I formed a fleet of about 6 ships and jumped to the base. I began my attack on the base but then about 12 to 15 Sulkan ships jumped in to do the same. We all attacked the pirate base and destroyed it. Then I got the heck out of there.



Vlad77 -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 3:16:25 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Baleur

Vlad77 running very nicely? Are you saying you dont have massive stuttering when zooming or panning around? *ultra jealous if thats the case, but hopeful that it means this stuttering is something fixable*


Running very well for me Baleur. In fact sometimes it scrolls a bit too fast. I know that you had mentioned this issue before and tried a few approaches. I just wonder if there is some process running that you are unaware of on your PC? I have had these stuttering issues from time to time and it was either a process, or it was simply a matter of cleaning my registry and defragging. I hope you can work out the issue!

Best,
Vlad



Vlad77 -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 3:18:42 PM)

Gertjan,

I can almost hear the modders licking their chops on this one. Kudos to Codeforce and Matrix for releasing a patch ON release day!

Best.
Vlad



LarryP -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 3:24:53 PM)

After all of the niggles being posted, these posts are a nice welcome. [;)] [&o]



Vlad77 -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 3:40:03 PM)

Larry,

Unfortunately there will always be niggles on any release - of anything. But, the positives are greatly outweighing the niggling. This game is simply fun and engrossing and it is apparent at least to me that a lot of love went into it from the devs and the testers. This one is most assuredly a keeper.

It has taken the best features of the 4X genre and created its own identity. Codeforce have given us not only a great game, but also a universe that we the gamers can create and experiment with. This genre needed a good kick in the airlocks. Armada 2526 is I think a very good game as well. Who would have thought? A good space 4X and a great space 4X in a period of three months! Dare I say that people are getting back to what is most important in games and that is the PLAY aspect? Super hot mega vertex shaded pixels can only carry a game so far - witness Space Force: Rogue Universe.

The graphics ARE pretty good in this pretty lady, and with the ability to do our own designs, I am ready to crack out Maya and do fun stuff :)

It is so gratifying as a gamer to see other gamers happy with a product; especially one that could have easily fallen into the dreaded black hole named Same Game Different Title.

Could be that the Orcs, Hobbits, Elves, and Mumakils that have inhabited New Zealand left some magic behind? :)

Vlad



Jim D Burns -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 3:50:42 PM)

Agreed, every game has a period where they need to shake out all the quirks after release. All the niggling going on is actually a good thing, it helps the process along. Don’t let it get you down about the game, it’s a sign people care about it a lot that they spend so much thought processing power on it.

Were the game a dud, there’d be hardly a peep in here about it. But I think DW has already proven itself to be one of the most innovative 4x games ever released and will probably become THE 4x game to beat for future attempts at the genre. MOO2 step aside, there’s a new kid on the block.

Jim



JonathanStrange -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 6:15:36 PM)

Could one auto-assign anti-pirate fleets to deal with - and only with - pirates, say by patrolling certain sectors? Is it possible to auto-assign escorts to accompany fleets or travel along trade routes?



LarryP -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 6:28:04 PM)

Vlad77 and Jim D Burns; Thanks again for your kind words of encouragement. When I got on as beta tester last June 2009, as soon as I saw this game I knew it was special. My favorite genre of games had been space. However, I always wanted a space game that had an immense system to explore, lots of options do do that with, and a game that I could start on MY terms. I saw that DW had just that and more.

As you have seen, the options of starting a game are so many. Gamers at any level of expertise can find the settings to accommodate their play. That's a very strong point about DW compared to other space games. One other game that has many options for play is the Space Empire series which I like. However I love DW. [8D]

I know there will always be niggles. I still feel somewhat responsible for them when I read them. Nobody likes to let a bug get by them, it's a competitive thing too. Us against them kind of thing. [;)]



Wade1000 -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 9:43:05 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: mbar


quote:

ORIGINAL: Shark7

I only got a chance to run through the basic tutorial and play for about 30 minutes last night, but this game is epic scale wise. Even in the 30 minutes I played I was run ragged trying to deal with pirate raids. I have a feeling this is going to be very, very good, and very in depth.


At first I tried to destroy a single pirate ship but I just ended up jumping this way and that trying to chase it down. So I formed a fleet of about 6 ships and jumped to the base. I began my attack on the base but then about 12 to 15 Sulkan ships jumped in to do the same. We all attacked the pirate base and destroyed it. Then I got the heck out of there.


Nice! That is so cool.



traflyfish -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 10:01:44 PM)

First time poster, but been reading along on these DW posts for some time now..

Downloaded the game today and running on my IMac with the most recent snow leopard OS and vmware fusion with windows seven.

Absolutely NO stuttering whatsoever, and like Vlad77 said, might be too fast under normal settings.

Have most features automated right now- which is probably good, but feeling a little like an innocent bystander rather than an active participant. Going to start to take on more responsibilities now that I've got a handle on things..

To the folks at Matrixgames- nice job! This is truly a 4x game and has captured the essence of the enormity of space! Even more important, it runs well and no bugs encountered yet. Thank you for the effective QA/QC before release!



elmo3 -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/26/2010 10:26:27 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Thanks guys, great to hear that you are loving DW!


Yup, I've only scratched the surface but so far it is a lot of fun. Now if only Joel doesn't see me posting here... [:'(]



Erik Rutins -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/28/2010 2:29:13 PM)

Bump.



Tree Dog -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/28/2010 3:12:05 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Bump.


Tss, don't you feel at least a bit ashamed, bumping this thread only to please your (rightfully) overinflated ego ? :p



Greyhunterlp -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/28/2010 3:19:58 PM)

I've not has as much time to play as I would have liked, but what I've seen so far is great, I've had the same niggles - which I have every confidence will be fixed, but I'm enjoying the game structure, even if at this time I've crashed my third economy and I can't put any victory conditions on - although the latter is not a big problem, I'm one of these people who doesn't like wasting time seeing a game to the end if its obvious I will win.

The living universe is fantastic to watch, I've had my businessmen drag me into a war by their building of mining bases near that hostile race, I've met a colony ship filled with the last survivors of an alien race, and I'm ready for more.
Next stop, a major war, as soon as I can afford some ship.

Possible an AAR as well.



Shark7 -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/28/2010 3:24:51 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Tree Dog


quote:

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Bump.


Tss, don't you feel at least a bit ashamed, bumping this thread only to please your (rightfully) overinflated ego ? :p


I'm wondering why he hasn't just pinned it yet... [:D]



Gertjan -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/28/2010 3:31:42 PM)

lol :)



Jim D Burns -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/28/2010 3:32:47 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Grey Hunter
I've crashed my third economy


One workaround I've used as we await the patch is to set all the starting empires as expanding powers in game setup. That gives everyone about 6-10 colonies that are developed enough to create a decent stockpile of the resources they each produce. On average 4 of your colonies will have a luxury resource, so your economy should have enough luxuries to keep your economy stable until further luxuries resource sites are colonized or mined.

I also tried a game using an old start, but everyone is so close together in that one that there is no time to develop political relations with anyone. All your neighbors covet your planets (huge negative relations mod), so things soon devolve into war and ruin and not an ally to be had anywhere.

I guess some people may like crazy games like that, but I generally prefer to try and get one or two solid allies on my side before I decide to venture into the arena of combat.

Jim



malkuth74 -> RE: W O W - The NEW Galactic Emperor has arrived! (3/28/2010 9:04:21 PM)

Other then a few bugs, that one has already been squashed I agree. This game is epic in scale. I still don't know what the hell is going on most of the time LOL.

But its all good, since that means there is tons of things to do... And no more micromanagment. The ai will even handle invasions for you. (still on the fence about how good it is at that though.)



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